Elevator



2 Shegts-Sheet 1 EJ .m r

I INVENTOR. Y E: E. EVd/ZS gay/42 ELEVATOR E. E. EVANS Filed Sept. '18, 1945 l m 8 6 5 6 5 .5 M 6 5 5 r p 4 r 0 0 0 1 z 1. T 5 l Y h z 4 2H2 4 3 2 v A w Patented Nov. 14, 1944 UNITE-ID STATES 2.362309; ELEVATOR Ernest "Eugene Evans, Riverside, C'alif., assignor of one-third to Roy wthird to Lloyd Alfred Calif.

Application September 18, 1943, Serial No. 502,920

Claims.

, platform andwherein novel" means is provided wherein the elevator platform controls its own movement. I v

Other 'objectsand the advantages of my invention will be apparent, from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein: V v

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal elevation view, partially in section, showing my improved elevator; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, longitudinal, sectional view taken at right angles to Fig. land on line 2-;2,Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33,

Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectiontaken-on line 4-4,Fig.1; Fig. 5 is an enlarged sectio'nfshowing the trig-. ger mechanism, taken on line 5-5, Fig. '3; j a

Fig. 6 am enlarged sectionaldetail showing the safety arm and'ta'ken on line 6-6, Fig. 2; Fig. 7 is an enlarged section taken on line 1--1,

Fig. 4;

, Fig.18 is an enlarged section taken on line B- -B, Fig. 1, and v Fig. 9 is an enlarged section taken on line 9-9, Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings by reference characters, I have shown my inventionas embodied in an elevator construction which is indicated generally at Hi. My device is particularly adapted for lowering a stack of boxes from one level to another level and the construction includes" an upper or loading-floor II and a lower or delivery floor-I2. Y a 3T From the lower floor 12 a well ,I 3 extends downwardly. In this well 'I arrange a pair of parallel vertical cylindersl l and IS. The cylinders have elbow portion lli and I! at their'lower ends.

The cylindersare held'in'position' b means of anchor portions Il a andl5a which extend into 7 15b below thewell. A'base plate 16a arranged in I the foundation 4 the well supports the' cylinders. The elbow'por tion'ilfiis connected by a pipe 18 PATENT OFFICE Everett Evans and one- Evans, both of. Riverside,

. with one end-of the housing of a valve ill. The other end of the'valvefl3 is' connected by a pipe 20 with one end of a second valve2'l. The other end oi the second. valvezl is connected by a pipe 22 with the elbow portion l-l. --'Ihe pipe 22 includes a shut-off valve 23 which may be hand operated-to control flow through the p'ipe'22 and may further serve as ameans of governing the speed at which the apparatus operates.

Each of the valves Sand 2| has a chamber 24 (see Fig. 9) therein and within each chamber I arrange a valve 25 which is pivoted within the chamber as at 26. The valve 25 moves from the solid line position in Fig. 9 to thedotted line position in this figure and each valve is provided with an arm 21 whichwhen moved rocks the] valve from open to closed'position and vice versaj The valve 25 includes an orifice 28 which in one position aligns with the .inlet and outlet openings 29 in the valvehousing. I v 1' Pivoted valves of this nature are usually constructed so that a tight seal is provided against fluid movement'in "one direction but fluid moving in a reverse direction tends to'leak slowly past the valve and for this reason'I prefer to providetwo of the valves as shown with the valves facing in opposite directions to thereby insure a complete stoppage of fluid in each direction "when the valves are closed.

Each of the cylinders l4 and I5 is provided with a plunger 30 whichf'extends from a position adjacent the bottomlof the-cylinder to a position above the upper endpf the cylinder. A pair of guide rings 3| encircle the lower ends of the plungers 30. The plunger "-30 passes through suitable packingmeans' 33 so that fluid cannot lead around the topof the plu'nger F I The cylinder [4 cornmunicateswith a fluid supply pipe 34 which extends to a'receptacle 35 and includes a control valve 36 which may be hand operated to "control passage through the 1 m.

The receptacle 35hasa f1lling aperture closed by a cap '31 'and the construction is such that 5 when the cap 31 is removed and valve 33is opened fluid will run through thepipe'. 34 to the cylinder Hl' whence, when 'the valves 13, 21 and 23 are open, it will flowtojthe cylinder 15. The cylinder l5 includes a bleed pipe 38 which has a closed end and has an outlet'valve 39. This valve 39 is opened while the cylinder arev being filled with oil to act as an air bleeder and is thereafter closed. The valve 36 is then closed andjthevalve 23 adjusted to control the rate of flowfrom one 55 cylinder to theotherj This filling operation occurs when the pistons 30 are at the approximate stack will engage the cross bar 6| depressing the center of their movement. push rod 63 and the spring 64 and through mem- Each of the pistons 30 at its upper end is probers 66 will move the bar 55 downwardly to therevided with a platform 40. These platforms inby close the valves [9 and 2|.

clude projecting end members 4| which run be- A tension spring 61 having its lower end contween guides 42 arranged on vertical column nected to the bar 6| and its upper end connected members 43 so that lateral shifting of the ele.- to one of the frame members, normally urges the vator platform is avoided. Further lateral shiftshut off mechanism, just described, in an uping is prevented by means of guide pins 4la arwardly direction.

ranged within the end members 4| and adapted 0 Arranged upon the lower floor I2, adjacent the to travel just outside of the guides 42. unloading side of the apparatus, I provide a pair Surrounding each of the pistons 30 Ishow boots of safety plates (Fig. 2), hinged as at H to 45 the upper ends .of which are suitably secured the floor 12. These plates 10 are inclined upat 46 to the pistons immediately below the elewardly and at their free ends adjacent the well vator platform while the lower'ends of the boots, I3 havea downwardly extending arm 73 thereon. as at 41, are secured by fastening means 48 to The lower end of each arm is attached to one end the upper ends of the cylinders l4 and I5. In of a tension spring 14 (Fig. 1) which extends this way the piston is protected against weather, upwardly and has its upper end attached to the sand from the boxes, and other conditions. lower side of the floor I2 and normally urges the From the foregoing description it will be apparassociated plate 18 in an upwardly direction.

ent that when one of the elevator platforms is Mounted on the Sid Of e a I provide up and the other down, with the valve 22 adjusted a U-shaped' member 15 (Fig. 6) secured thereto to a pre-determined position and with the valves yse urin m ans 'I aand enclosing a lever l6 l9 and 2| closed, the platform which is up may which extends rearwardly beneath the associated be loaded, for example, with a stack of boxes p te 70 d has one e d pivoted as at 11 to a which it is desired to lower to the floor 12. As bracket 18 secured to the lower face of the floor soon as the boxes are arranged in proper order l2. The lever 16 extends forwardly and has its upon the upper elevator an arm 50 Fi 8) i free end connected to a chain 19 which in turn rocked about it pivot 5|, Th r 59 h it h is fastened to the lower side of the shut off cross inner end connected to a chain 52 and downward 0 bar 6 movement of the arm' 50 will cause the chain to The Construction and r angement of the plate be pulled upwardly. v 10, arms 73 and lever 16 is such that when an The chain 52 extends downwardly to and into pe ator's Weight or a hand truck is placed up n a guide pipe 53, Th h in t nd through th the plate 18, through arm 75, lever 16 and chain pipe and at it l w r e d i connected t a d 19, bar 6|, and in turn push rod 63, the valves 13 54 which i t r is on t to a bar 55, The and 2| will be retained in a closed position. bar 55 at its lower end. is connected by a pivot 56 when the bOXeS av b en r mOVBd from the with a, pair of li k 51 Th li k 57 are t v platform the bar 6| is free to be raised whereupon t 58 t t arms 21 by means of. which the valves the levers 16 and associated parts will prevent l9 and 2| are operated. The construction is such other operator on the up f o I I rom d that when the arm i ro k d downwardly f pressing the starting lever 50 and returning one the position shown in Fig. 8 it will cause the arms of the platforms whi h may be on the level of 21 to move inwardly and upwardly thus opening fiOOr until Said platform is completely the two valves l9 and 2|, the valves being moved loaded and t Operator is clear.

from the position shownin Fig. 9 in dotted lines 5 Disposed on opposite sides of the platform 40 to the position shown in Fig. 9 in full lines sothat and adjacent the ad n Side of the mechathe orifices 29 in the two valves are open and fluid nism I arrange a P Of hooks 30 (Fig, 5) located is permitted t flow b tw e th cylinders |4 on the opposite ends of a shaft 8| and which are and 5.

I 9 held in neutral position by a pair of tension Since the upper elevator platform is loaded, its 50 springs 32 and 33 h of which has one end weight exceeds the weight of the lower platform nected to a 111834011 the ooks and the other and thus the fluid pressure, for example in cylend fastened t e platform 0 y pi s 8 The inder l4 shown in Fig. 1, is such that it causes hooks 80 are adapted to engage a lower cross bar the piston 32, in the cylinder to be displaced up- 86 of aligning gates 81 and 88, which are sli'dably wardly thus c u i h platform 49 to be raised arranged within guides 89 and counterbalanced While other platform is lowered. The valve 23 by means of W i h s 90 tta hed by means of is adjusted so that asmooth movement of the Cords 9| Which p s o pulleys 92 t he t p two elevator platforms results and this movement cross bar o the gates 81 and 88. Stop pins 93 continue until th upper l t that is the in the lower ends of the guide members 89 serve loaded one, moves to its extreme lower position so to nt movement of t t s 81 and 8 where t 111 come to t j yond that point and the construction of the hooks E h platfonn 40 (see .3) has notch 5 80 and the springs 82 and 83' is such that they hi h is adapted to freely ve one end will snap oil? the lower cross member 86 of the cross shut off bar 6| which extends. laterally gates and allow the Platform t0 (iontimle its across th t Extending downwardly fr m descent. Upon ascent of the platform, the books the bar 6|, and held in place by a guide member 80 will again engage the bars 62 (Fig. 1), I provide a push rod 63, the lower end These gates, 37 and act as a Safety device of which engages a compression spring 64 encased to prevent a stack of boxes being lowered on one within a hollow guide tube 65 which may be slidof the platforms from tipp g over d e to 1 ably mounted onone f the upright members of stacking or other reasons. It will be seen that the frame It] and adjacent the bar 55. A pair of the gates will descend with their respective platconnecting members 66 connect the tube 65 and forms until they strike the p p then the bar 55. The spring 64 acts as a cushion. they will be disengaged and will be caused to rise It will thus be seenithat upon lowering a stack by the counter-balance weights 9!! andthe conof boxes on either platform 48, the bottom of the struction is such that by the time the platform ated by a box on either one of said platforms when the platform approaches its lowermost position for operating the valve control means to closed position.

8. In an apparatus for lowering boxes from one level to another, a pair of spaced cylinders, said cylinders being vertically disposed, an upper loading floor and a lower unloading floor, a plunger in each cylinder, a box receiving platform on each plunger, each platform being movable from an upper position at the loading floor to a lower position at the unloading floor, a conduit connecting'the cylinders, a pair of oppositely directed valves in said conduit, control means to simultaneously open or close both of said valves, manual means for actuating the valve control meansto open position and means operated by a box on either one of said platforms when the platform approaches its lowermost position for operating the valve control means to move the valves to closed position, a weight operated safety plate adjacent the position occupied by each platform when the latter is in its lowest position, and means operated when the safety plate is moved by weight thereon to oppose operation of the manual means.

9. In an apparatus for lowering boxes from one level to another, a pair of spaced cylinders, said cylinders being vertically disposed, an upper loading floor and a lower unloading floor, a plunger in each cylinder, a box receiving platform on the upper end of each plunger, each platform being movable from an upper position level with the loading 'floor'to a lower position level with the unloading floor, means'for guiding each of the platforms against lateral movement, a conduit connecting the cylinders, said conduit including an adjustable valve for controlling the rate of flow therethrough, a shut-off valve in said conduit, control means to open or close said shut-off valve, manual means for actuating the valve control means to open position, means operated by a box on either one of said platforms when the platform approaches its lowermost position for operating the valve control means to move the shut-off valve to closed position, a weight operated safety plate adjacent the position occupied by each platform when the latter is in its lowest position, and means operated when the safety plate is moved by a weight thereon to oppose operation of the manual means. 10. In an apparatus for lowering boxes from one level to another, a pair of spaced cylinders, said cylinders being verticall disposed, an upper loading floor and a lower unloading floor, a plunger in each cylinder, a box receiving platform on the upper end of each plunger, each platform being movable from an upper position at the loading floor to a lower position at the unloading floor, means for guiding each of the platforms against lateral movement, a conduit connecting the cylinders, said conduit including an adjustable valve for controlling the rate of flow therethrough, a pair of oppositely directed shut-off valves in said conduit, control means to simultaneously open or close both of said shut-off valves, manual means for actuating the valve control means to open position and means operated by a box on either one of said platforms when the platform approaches its lowermost position for operating the valve control means to move the shut-off valves to closed position, a weight operated safety plate adj aoent the position occupied by each platform when the latter is in its lowest position, and means operated when the safety plate is moved by a weight thereon to oppose operation of the manual means.

ERNEST EUGENE EVANS. 

